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The Captive #1
Captured
Alternative cover edition of asin B0087G3U92
Blood Slave.
Captured, taken from her beloved family and woods, Aria’s biggest fear is not the imminent death facing her, but that she will be chosen as a blood slave for a member of the ruling vampire race. No matter what becomes of her though, Aria knows that she must keep her identity hidden from the monsters imprisoning her. She has already been branded a member of the rebellion, but the vampires do not know the true depth of her involvement with it, and they must never know.
Though hoping for death, Aria’s world is turned upside down when a vampire named Braith steps forward to claim her. He delays her execution, but Aria knows it’s only a matter of time before he drains her, and destroys her. Especially once she learns his true identity as a prince within the royal family; the same royal family that started the war that ultimately brought down humankind, reducing them to nothing more than servants and slaves.
Aria is determined to hate the prince, determined not to give into him in anyway, but his strange kindness, and surprising gentleness astonish her. Torn between her loyalties to the rebellion, and her growing love for her greatest enemy, Aria struggles to decide between everything she has ever known, and a love she never dreamed of finding.
Blood Slave.
Captured, taken from her beloved family and woods, Aria’s biggest fear is not the imminent death facing her, but that she will be chosen as a blood slave for a member of the ruling vampire race. No matter what becomes of her though, Aria knows that she must keep her identity hidden from the monsters imprisoning her. She has already been branded a member of the rebellion, but the vampires do not know the true depth of her involvement with it, and they must never know.
Though hoping for death, Aria’s world is turned upside down when a vampire named Braith steps forward to claim her. He delays her execution, but Aria knows it’s only a matter of time before he drains her, and destroys her. Especially once she learns his true identity as a prince within the royal family; the same royal family that started the war that ultimately brought down humankind, reducing them to nothing more than servants and slaves.
Aria is determined to hate the prince, determined not to give into him in anyway, but his strange kindness, and surprising gentleness astonish her. Torn between her loyalties to the rebellion, and her growing love for her greatest enemy, Aria struggles to decide between everything she has ever known, and a love she never dreamed of finding.
168 pages, ebook
First published June 1, 2012
2857 people are currently reading
16511 people want to read
About the author
Erica Stevens
44 books2,284 followersErica Stevens is the author of the Captive Series, Coven Series, Kindred Series, Fire & Ice Series, Ravening Series, and the Survivor Chronicles. She enjoys writing young adult, new adult, romance, horror, and science fiction. She also writes adult paranormal romance and historical romance under the pen name, Brenda K. Davies. When not out with friends and family, she is at home with her husband, son, dogs, cat, and horse.
She loves to speak with readers and can be found:
Erica Stevens/Brenda K. Davies Mailing List: http://bit.ly/ESBKDNews
She loves to speak with readers and can be found:
Erica Stevens/Brenda K. Davies Mailing List: http://bit.ly/ESBKDNews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,507 reviews
August 3, 2023
“I have made it clear no one is to touch her.”
“If I have to tell you again, I will kill you.” 😫😍
SO THIS BOOK WASNT THE BEST BUT THE ENDING HAD ME IN A CHOKEHOLD
The story starts with Arianna a rebel human who is captured by vampires in order to save a child. However she didn’t think this through as her father is the leader for the rebel movement and if any of the vamps were to find out they’d use her as leverage to overthrow her father. Rebel humans that are captured have two paths that dictate their future
1. They are instantly killed and drained of blood if no vampire finds them desirable or of any use
2. A vampire finds them desirable and keeps them as their own personal blood slave - which is worse than death 💀
Now as she’s waiting for her fate to be decided she sees max her brothers best friend who’s also a lieutenant who got himself captured in order to protect her. Once they get a chance to get close he promises to find her and escape this hell. Aria is hauled on to the stage and no vampire wants her until one ugly one calls from the back and says he’ll take her and can’t wait to break her just as he’s about to pay a loud voice startles the crowd and a man says that he will take her instead and this man is no one other than prince Braith . If aria thought it couldn’t get worse she was wrong she was now the blood slave of the wicked prince. As she returns with him she is startled to find that he isn’t cruel or wicked but he’s actually compassionate and kind towards her but she’s not sure if this is just an act. Will aria be able to escape her fate as a blood slave or will she accept her fate and fall for the prince
NOW I LOVED THE ENDING TO THIS BOOK LIKE HELLO IT HAD ME ISNTANTLY WANTING TO START THE SECOND ONE BUT THATS THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT THE BOOK.
“Her defiance should annoy him (she had already defied him more today than anyone ever had in his life), but he found himself somewhat amused by it right now.”
Aria was a rebel she truly lived up to the title and acted based on instincts and I loved that she wasn’t scared and did what ever she felt like. Aria was used to represent humans who allow actions to cloud their judgement which leads to them making numerous mistakes.
“ One thing was for sure, he wasn’t going to force himself on her. He had done a lot of things in his extensive life, many of them not good, but he had never forced himself on an unwilling woman.”
“They were meant to be worn around the neck, or the wrist, depending on what the owner preferred, but looking at her now he knew he couldn’t add to her degradation by placing it around her neck.”
Braith was the kindest vampire Iv ever read about he was just a gem. Like my man understands the meaning of consent and he’s DEAD and over 900 years old💀. He was soo kind and caring towards aria the way he treated her like she was easily breakable and made out of glass 😫. My favourite part was the way he taught her how to read like someone buy him a medal 😭😭😭 The rule for taking out a blood slave means that you have to put a collar around either the neck or the wrist of the salve and the way Braith knew how degrading it was and slipped it on her wrist but didn’t want to do it had my heart the only reason he did it was because no relations are allowed between a master and a salve and if one is caught then the slave is given the most excruciating death and despite braith being a prince he doesn’t get to sit that one out .
“He named each flower for her as they continued their tour of the gardens. ” I know how scary right 🙄
After that lengthy ass explanation of how braith was super cute whyy on earth was he described as a ruthless royal that everyone was shit scared from it didn’t make sense. He literally didn’t drink from any human that wasn’t willing to give up their blood, he never killed the servant girl even though she broke arias rib and he literally read to aria every night and practically did anything to make her smile. So it just doesn’t make sense and it wasn’t once touched on in the book of why he was soo feared yess at the end I was like erm BRAITH BABE what tf is going on but still.
“Braith, why do you always wear those dark glasses?” I have exact same question 💀
“For the first time she noticed that his legs were bare, and that he wore only a pair of shorts.” I need bleach for my mind and eyes 💀😂
Secondly why tf did braith always have his glasses on if he’s practically blind. Don’t get me wrong there’s nothing with glasses the fact that its mentioned 50 billion times erm what was the need. But TO MAKE IT WORSE WHY WAS MY MAN WEARING SHORTS HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A VAMPIRE WITH SHORTS OR EVEN GLASSES BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER ITS ALMOST A CRIME NAA FORGET THAT ITS A CRIME ANS HES GULITY AS CHARGED like someone needs a stylist 😭😭💀💀
Now the writing style for this book is atrocious it’s like a child wrote this it’s soo simple just like this review because i cant write for shit . If you know someone who doesn’t read then this is a perfect start because of how simple the language is. I just wish this was written more beautifully. The first 3/4 of the book was kind of boring it was just an introduction to the characters and the plot it only really got INTERESTING NEAR THE END .
The love at the start between braith and aria gave insta love like your both rivals he’s literally the vampire prince and your the daughter of the rebel leader fair enough he didn’t know but girl you did and you were acting like youv never seen a man before. LIKE PLEASE YOU FOLDED TOO QUICK WHERES THE ENEMIES TO LOVERS 💀😭
“Enough!” he barked. “You would prefer to die than be separated from your lover?” ha braith babe breathe 😘
Braith was a jealous and possessive man the way he didn’t let anyone touch aria from the start had me In my feels OFCOURSE IT DID. My favourite part was when he lost control after he saw aria with max that whole calm copyists crumbled instantly like my man saw red. He even didn’t like her getting close with his brother Caleb or jack and would practically kill them for even trying 🥵
“It won’t be you I kill Arianna,” he snarled. Her knees buckled as the implication of his words sank in. “I’ll keep you alive, and I’ll make you watch as I relish in his slow death. I can take whatever I want, whenever I want it. I have been kind to you so far, I will not be kind anymore. No one disobeys me, no one goes against me. I will show you what kind of a monster I can truly be.”
Aria made me laugh even though she wasn’t trying to be funny like when she slapped Braith had me in full on tears she did not think that through why are you slapping a vampire that’s pissed because he saw you with another man ofcourse he’s gonna go and try and kill max after that she was fully acting like she didn’t expect it but she was soo unhinged I loved her for that 😂💀
Spoilers AHEAD ⚠️⚠️
Hello everyone what was that ending. The fact that Braith completely lost his shit and now hates aria for leaving him has me baffled. Like fair enough I get that you feel like she used you and took the first chance she did to get back to her family but I thought you loved her soo why put her in a position where you know there’s a high chance of her being killed. NOT TO MENTION YOU HAVE A FULL ON FIANCÉ LIKE WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL US YESS I FEEL JUST AS BETRAYED AS ARIA DOES SO YOU BEST START EXPLAINING THIS SHIT🤢💀
The fact that aria wasn’t leaving pissed me off I get that you love braith but hello do you not hear Jack saying that he would trade him self for you your own dad willing to risk everything for you and your slumped up about some vampire prince like get a grip😭
“But if they were captured and brought back here, he would be the one to make sure that Jericho was destroyed, and he would be the one to personally hand her over to Caleb”
I still can’t believe my Braith completely lost it and now wants to kill his brother like it’s not his fault he told you he was going to take her and it’s for her own safety. Not only that but braith was willing to give aria to the creep Caleb when he knows how deranged Caleb is. BUT ITS GIVING ENEMIES TO LOVERS SO IM EXCITED FOR THE NEXT BOOK.💕
Spoilers end here ⚠️
I couldn’t have read this without my gorgeous love zaynab the way we both died at the end was soo worth it can’t wait to start the second one with my love 😘❤️
I hope I love the second book because like I said this started off meh with a lot of potential but the end was amazing so fingers crossed AND BRAITH HONEY PLEASE LEAVE YOUR GLASSES AND SHORTS IN THIS BOOK DONT RUIN MY FANTASIES ABOUT YOU YOUR A VAMPIRE ACT LIKE ONE LOVE YOU 😘
“If I have to tell you again, I will kill you.” 😫😍
SO THIS BOOK WASNT THE BEST BUT THE ENDING HAD ME IN A CHOKEHOLD
The story starts with Arianna a rebel human who is captured by vampires in order to save a child. However she didn’t think this through as her father is the leader for the rebel movement and if any of the vamps were to find out they’d use her as leverage to overthrow her father. Rebel humans that are captured have two paths that dictate their future
1. They are instantly killed and drained of blood if no vampire finds them desirable or of any use
2. A vampire finds them desirable and keeps them as their own personal blood slave - which is worse than death 💀
Now as she’s waiting for her fate to be decided she sees max her brothers best friend who’s also a lieutenant who got himself captured in order to protect her. Once they get a chance to get close he promises to find her and escape this hell. Aria is hauled on to the stage and no vampire wants her until one ugly one calls from the back and says he’ll take her and can’t wait to break her just as he’s about to pay a loud voice startles the crowd and a man says that he will take her instead and this man is no one other than prince Braith . If aria thought it couldn’t get worse she was wrong she was now the blood slave of the wicked prince. As she returns with him she is startled to find that he isn’t cruel or wicked but he’s actually compassionate and kind towards her but she’s not sure if this is just an act. Will aria be able to escape her fate as a blood slave or will she accept her fate and fall for the prince
NOW I LOVED THE ENDING TO THIS BOOK LIKE HELLO IT HAD ME ISNTANTLY WANTING TO START THE SECOND ONE BUT THATS THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT THE BOOK.
“Her defiance should annoy him (she had already defied him more today than anyone ever had in his life), but he found himself somewhat amused by it right now.”
Aria was a rebel she truly lived up to the title and acted based on instincts and I loved that she wasn’t scared and did what ever she felt like. Aria was used to represent humans who allow actions to cloud their judgement which leads to them making numerous mistakes.
“ One thing was for sure, he wasn’t going to force himself on her. He had done a lot of things in his extensive life, many of them not good, but he had never forced himself on an unwilling woman.”
“They were meant to be worn around the neck, or the wrist, depending on what the owner preferred, but looking at her now he knew he couldn’t add to her degradation by placing it around her neck.”
Braith was the kindest vampire Iv ever read about he was just a gem. Like my man understands the meaning of consent and he’s DEAD and over 900 years old💀. He was soo kind and caring towards aria the way he treated her like she was easily breakable and made out of glass 😫. My favourite part was the way he taught her how to read like someone buy him a medal 😭😭😭 The rule for taking out a blood slave means that you have to put a collar around either the neck or the wrist of the salve and the way Braith knew how degrading it was and slipped it on her wrist but didn’t want to do it had my heart the only reason he did it was because no relations are allowed between a master and a salve and if one is caught then the slave is given the most excruciating death and despite braith being a prince he doesn’t get to sit that one out .
“He named each flower for her as they continued their tour of the gardens. ” I know how scary right 🙄
After that lengthy ass explanation of how braith was super cute whyy on earth was he described as a ruthless royal that everyone was shit scared from it didn’t make sense. He literally didn’t drink from any human that wasn’t willing to give up their blood, he never killed the servant girl even though she broke arias rib and he literally read to aria every night and practically did anything to make her smile. So it just doesn’t make sense and it wasn’t once touched on in the book of why he was soo feared yess at the end I was like erm BRAITH BABE what tf is going on but still.
“Braith, why do you always wear those dark glasses?” I have exact same question 💀
“For the first time she noticed that his legs were bare, and that he wore only a pair of shorts.” I need bleach for my mind and eyes 💀😂
Secondly why tf did braith always have his glasses on if he’s practically blind. Don’t get me wrong there’s nothing with glasses the fact that its mentioned 50 billion times erm what was the need. But TO MAKE IT WORSE WHY WAS MY MAN WEARING SHORTS HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A VAMPIRE WITH SHORTS OR EVEN GLASSES BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER ITS ALMOST A CRIME NAA FORGET THAT ITS A CRIME ANS HES GULITY AS CHARGED like someone needs a stylist 😭😭💀💀
Now the writing style for this book is atrocious it’s like a child wrote this it’s soo simple just like this review because i cant write for shit . If you know someone who doesn’t read then this is a perfect start because of how simple the language is. I just wish this was written more beautifully. The first 3/4 of the book was kind of boring it was just an introduction to the characters and the plot it only really got INTERESTING NEAR THE END .
The love at the start between braith and aria gave insta love like your both rivals he’s literally the vampire prince and your the daughter of the rebel leader fair enough he didn’t know but girl you did and you were acting like youv never seen a man before. LIKE PLEASE YOU FOLDED TOO QUICK WHERES THE ENEMIES TO LOVERS 💀😭
“Enough!” he barked. “You would prefer to die than be separated from your lover?” ha braith babe breathe 😘
Braith was a jealous and possessive man the way he didn’t let anyone touch aria from the start had me In my feels OFCOURSE IT DID. My favourite part was when he lost control after he saw aria with max that whole calm copyists crumbled instantly like my man saw red. He even didn’t like her getting close with his brother Caleb or jack and would practically kill them for even trying 🥵
“It won’t be you I kill Arianna,” he snarled. Her knees buckled as the implication of his words sank in. “I’ll keep you alive, and I’ll make you watch as I relish in his slow death. I can take whatever I want, whenever I want it. I have been kind to you so far, I will not be kind anymore. No one disobeys me, no one goes against me. I will show you what kind of a monster I can truly be.”
Aria made me laugh even though she wasn’t trying to be funny like when she slapped Braith had me in full on tears she did not think that through why are you slapping a vampire that’s pissed because he saw you with another man ofcourse he’s gonna go and try and kill max after that she was fully acting like she didn’t expect it but she was soo unhinged I loved her for that 😂💀
Spoilers AHEAD ⚠️⚠️
Hello everyone what was that ending. The fact that Braith completely lost his shit and now hates aria for leaving him has me baffled. Like fair enough I get that you feel like she used you and took the first chance she did to get back to her family but I thought you loved her soo why put her in a position where you know there’s a high chance of her being killed. NOT TO MENTION YOU HAVE A FULL ON FIANCÉ LIKE WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL US YESS I FEEL JUST AS BETRAYED AS ARIA DOES SO YOU BEST START EXPLAINING THIS SHIT🤢💀
The fact that aria wasn’t leaving pissed me off I get that you love braith but hello do you not hear Jack saying that he would trade him self for you your own dad willing to risk everything for you and your slumped up about some vampire prince like get a grip😭
“But if they were captured and brought back here, he would be the one to make sure that Jericho was destroyed, and he would be the one to personally hand her over to Caleb”
I still can’t believe my Braith completely lost it and now wants to kill his brother like it’s not his fault he told you he was going to take her and it’s for her own safety. Not only that but braith was willing to give aria to the creep Caleb when he knows how deranged Caleb is. BUT ITS GIVING ENEMIES TO LOVERS SO IM EXCITED FOR THE NEXT BOOK.💕
Spoilers end here ⚠️
I couldn’t have read this without my gorgeous love zaynab the way we both died at the end was soo worth it can’t wait to start the second one with my love 😘❤️
I hope I love the second book because like I said this started off meh with a lot of potential but the end was amazing so fingers crossed AND BRAITH HONEY PLEASE LEAVE YOUR GLASSES AND SHORTS IN THIS BOOK DONT RUIN MY FANTASIES ABOUT YOU YOUR A VAMPIRE ACT LIKE ONE LOVE YOU 😘
August 15, 2013
Ariana, a refugee of a world ruled by ruthless vampires is captured and sold into slavery. She is to be a blood slave to The Vampire Prince, Braith, her sworn enemy. But is left feeling confused when he does not act like the monster she's always thought he was.
Her preconceived notions don't make sense around Braith and she begins to question what she has always believed.
Braith, an elusive man, feared and respected by his kind. When he sees Ariana, he does something he can't explain. He claims her as his blood slave. Everything thing about the way he feels for Ariana is unsettling to him. When he looks at her he sees an obstinate yet strong young woman.
I was pleasantly surprised at how good this book was, the only bad thing about this book was the smut level. There just wasn't enough, so this is definitely YA, which I haven't read in a while. I was looking for a break from my normal reading and this was just the thing!
July 5, 2013
Considering I got this book free on my Kindle, maybe I don't have room to complain too much, but I feel the author could strongly benefit from a better copy-editor and more beta readers. Wary and weary are regularly mixed up, apostrophes are used to pluralize, commas are omitted and added in exactly the wrong places, and a plethora of words are used incorrectly. These issues come secondary, however, to the issues I have with the story itself.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
The protagonist, Arianna, is stated by the author and other characters to be proud and defiant, and yet she -regularly- gets stared down and cornered by other characters, and she generally proves to be spineless. Please, author, SHOW, do not TELL. If the character is strong and defiant, then -have her demonstrate those traits, instead of talking about them-.
She talks a lot for somebody with a broken rib, and she falls in love (in the same scene!) with the man who not three minutes earlier threatened to have her best friend tortured and killed, out of jealousy. The characters are flat and undynamic, and random details and characters keep popping up out of the woodwork without any earlier mention or foreshadowing. If Jericho is secretly Jack, don't you think Jack should have been -mentioned in the first place- before Jericho shows up on the scene? Without an earlier cameo, Arianna's reaction to his assumed betrayal is totally meaningless to the reader, because we have had no opportunity to get to know his character and how it matters to Arianna.
My other problem with this book is the opening chapter and the consistent pattern of highly repetitive, redundant, run-on sentences and fragments it has. Sentences like this one. And this one. Sentences which make you wish you could gouge your eyes out with a spoon, but you can't, because you don't have a spoon, and anyway you wouldn't want to get a spoon dirty just to gouge your eyes out, because you know that one little book really isn't actually worth gouging out your eyes. But you want to anyway. Because it is just that horrible. So horrible you don't even have words for it. So horrible that you have to come onto Goodreads to demonstrate it using its own methods, in the hopes that your meaning will be understood as constructive criticism and not hostility. Because you're not hostile. You like the author and think she has potential. But you just really can't stand writing like this because it reads like no proofreading or refinement was done to it at all, ever.
In all seriousness, I wish the author the best of luck, and the book -did- pass a few hours for me, when I had not much better to do. I just deeply wish more time had been spent refining the book, trying for emotional realism, and SHOWING instead of TELLING what the characters' personal qualities and relationships are.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
The protagonist, Arianna, is stated by the author and other characters to be proud and defiant, and yet she -regularly- gets stared down and cornered by other characters, and she generally proves to be spineless. Please, author, SHOW, do not TELL. If the character is strong and defiant, then -have her demonstrate those traits, instead of talking about them-.
She talks a lot for somebody with a broken rib, and she falls in love (in the same scene!) with the man who not three minutes earlier threatened to have her best friend tortured and killed, out of jealousy. The characters are flat and undynamic, and random details and characters keep popping up out of the woodwork without any earlier mention or foreshadowing. If Jericho is secretly Jack, don't you think Jack should have been -mentioned in the first place- before Jericho shows up on the scene? Without an earlier cameo, Arianna's reaction to his assumed betrayal is totally meaningless to the reader, because we have had no opportunity to get to know his character and how it matters to Arianna.
My other problem with this book is the opening chapter and the consistent pattern of highly repetitive, redundant, run-on sentences and fragments it has. Sentences like this one. And this one. Sentences which make you wish you could gouge your eyes out with a spoon, but you can't, because you don't have a spoon, and anyway you wouldn't want to get a spoon dirty just to gouge your eyes out, because you know that one little book really isn't actually worth gouging out your eyes. But you want to anyway. Because it is just that horrible. So horrible you don't even have words for it. So horrible that you have to come onto Goodreads to demonstrate it using its own methods, in the hopes that your meaning will be understood as constructive criticism and not hostility. Because you're not hostile. You like the author and think she has potential. But you just really can't stand writing like this because it reads like no proofreading or refinement was done to it at all, ever.
In all seriousness, I wish the author the best of luck, and the book -did- pass a few hours for me, when I had not much better to do. I just deeply wish more time had been spent refining the book, trying for emotional realism, and SHOWING instead of TELLING what the characters' personal qualities and relationships are.
April 24, 2016
i'm not really a fan of vampires novels but this one surprised me I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was, it is the BEST Vampire-human love story i have read so far,Aria and Braith are so cute together, i really do hope they figure things out because there was a Lots of drama, conflict and misunderstandin :( i really enjoyed it and can't wait to read book 2 :DD !!
June 11, 2015
Bullet Review:
Mary Sue realizes at the whopping age of 17 that she has no time for love in this weird world dominated by vampires. So it's a no brainer when she is captured by the vampires that now run the world (??) and sold as a blood slave, she somehow becomes the slave of the Supreme Ultimate Vampire Prince, who deep down, isn't all that bad (he's hot and wears shades after all!). He actually likes her and she's totes in love with him too!
For people who harp on Belle for having a massive case of Stockholm Syndrome, they've never met Arianna, who can be "angry" and "feisty" when it makes her sexy to the vampire Braith.
And to continue with the Disney thread, if you thought Ariel being so silly around things like forks and pipes, you'll love Aria who gapes at hot water, even though she was JUST captured by a vampire and was forced into a room by him just moments ago, and gawks at all the finery of this place (again, she was JUST sold into slavery, you mean to tell me that just disappears at the first sight of gold and jewels and cushions?!).
DNF at 15% and skimmed, searching desperately for a goofy sex scene and finding nothing. Soooo stupid, I had fun loling at how world weary this 17-year old useless girl was - and how, YET AGAIN, she needed to rely on Love Interest #87 to save her sorry @$$ - even though she was supposedly trained to fight vampires!
Thank my lucky stars this was free; I wouldn't pay money for this, nor will I be looking into the sequels or anything else by this author.
I need a better vetting process for my free ebooks.
Mary Sue realizes at the whopping age of 17 that she has no time for love in this weird world dominated by vampires. So it's a no brainer when she is captured by the vampires that now run the world (??) and sold as a blood slave, she somehow becomes the slave of the Supreme Ultimate Vampire Prince, who deep down, isn't all that bad (he's hot and wears shades after all!). He actually likes her and she's totes in love with him too!
For people who harp on Belle for having a massive case of Stockholm Syndrome, they've never met Arianna, who can be "angry" and "feisty" when it makes her sexy to the vampire Braith.
And to continue with the Disney thread, if you thought Ariel being so silly around things like forks and pipes, you'll love Aria who gapes at hot water, even though she was JUST captured by a vampire and was forced into a room by him just moments ago, and gawks at all the finery of this place (again, she was JUST sold into slavery, you mean to tell me that just disappears at the first sight of gold and jewels and cushions?!).
DNF at 15% and skimmed, searching desperately for a goofy sex scene and finding nothing. Soooo stupid, I had fun loling at how world weary this 17-year old useless girl was - and how, YET AGAIN, she needed to rely on Love Interest #87 to save her sorry @$$ - even though she was supposedly trained to fight vampires!
Thank my lucky stars this was free; I wouldn't pay money for this, nor will I be looking into the sequels or anything else by this author.
I need a better vetting process for my free ebooks.
March 20, 2015
"He didn't know what it was about this girl, but she intrigued him in a way that no one ever had before."
Captured is the first book in the Captive Series. In a world where vampires rule over humans, a young rebel girl is captured and brought to the market for sale. Vampires keep humans for bloodslaves. Braith is the vampire prince and when he sees Arianna he knows that he has to have her. He has never taken a blood slave before and yet there is something different about this girl.
Arianna struggles being held in the palace. She longs for her family. She longs for her life beyond the palace gates. Even though she knows that vampires are her enemy Braith only shows her kindness. She is strangely drawn to him as he is equally drawn to her. There is no place in this world for a vampire and a human to live together. Humans exist only to sustain vampires.
Arianna feels like she is betraying her family by trusting Braith. He is the enemy. She lives to fight against his people. Just because Braith has shown her kindness, doesn't change who she is or what she believes in.
"I may be paying the price now for my role in the resistance, but I wouldn't change a thing. I stood up for what I believe in, I have pride in what I believe in, and no matter what you do to me, you can't take that fact away!"-Arianna
Arianna's stubbornness only make Braith want her more.
"The more he realized that to him, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and always would be. He felt a strange surge of emotion as he watched her; it was an emotion he had never felt before, and one that he couldn't figure out right now."-Braith
Eventually these two can't hold back any longer. They kiss, they cuddle, and those choices mark the true beginning of their story.
"In that moment, he knew it was true, he knew that she was his, and he would do everything in his power to keep her safe."-Braith
As the plot thickens, Arianna realizes that not everyone is who they seem. Braith grapples with his feelings for Arianna and his need to fulfill his duty as the prince. Will Arianna escape and leave Braith behind?
Captured absolutely took me by surprise. The first 70% of the read Arianna was so hot and cold about Braith. I felt slightly sea sick from the back and forth. Although I recognize the inner turmoil she was experiencing, it lacked depth and caused the plot to flatline for quite a while. This is a prime example of why I try not to give up on books. You never know when things will turn around. Once Braith and Arianna come together their connection is strong. There is no more wavering and the story takes off like a rocket. Not to mention the additionally plot twists really enhanced the storyline. I love it when things take a turn and you don't know what will happen next!
As soon as I finished this book, I downloaded the second one. I had to know what would happen next. I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes a good dystopian paranormal read. This book is definitely not a "sexy read" so if you are looking for that you need to keep surfing GR to find something else. As for me, I am hooked! I cannot wait to see what happens next!
"She wasn't scared. As long as she was in his arms, she knew that she would never be scared again."-Arianna
Captured is the first book in the Captive Series. In a world where vampires rule over humans, a young rebel girl is captured and brought to the market for sale. Vampires keep humans for bloodslaves. Braith is the vampire prince and when he sees Arianna he knows that he has to have her. He has never taken a blood slave before and yet there is something different about this girl.
Arianna struggles being held in the palace. She longs for her family. She longs for her life beyond the palace gates. Even though she knows that vampires are her enemy Braith only shows her kindness. She is strangely drawn to him as he is equally drawn to her. There is no place in this world for a vampire and a human to live together. Humans exist only to sustain vampires.
Arianna feels like she is betraying her family by trusting Braith. He is the enemy. She lives to fight against his people. Just because Braith has shown her kindness, doesn't change who she is or what she believes in.
"I may be paying the price now for my role in the resistance, but I wouldn't change a thing. I stood up for what I believe in, I have pride in what I believe in, and no matter what you do to me, you can't take that fact away!"-Arianna
Arianna's stubbornness only make Braith want her more.
"The more he realized that to him, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and always would be. He felt a strange surge of emotion as he watched her; it was an emotion he had never felt before, and one that he couldn't figure out right now."-Braith
Eventually these two can't hold back any longer. They kiss, they cuddle, and those choices mark the true beginning of their story.
"In that moment, he knew it was true, he knew that she was his, and he would do everything in his power to keep her safe."-Braith
As the plot thickens, Arianna realizes that not everyone is who they seem. Braith grapples with his feelings for Arianna and his need to fulfill his duty as the prince. Will Arianna escape and leave Braith behind?
Captured absolutely took me by surprise. The first 70% of the read Arianna was so hot and cold about Braith. I felt slightly sea sick from the back and forth. Although I recognize the inner turmoil she was experiencing, it lacked depth and caused the plot to flatline for quite a while. This is a prime example of why I try not to give up on books. You never know when things will turn around. Once Braith and Arianna come together their connection is strong. There is no more wavering and the story takes off like a rocket. Not to mention the additionally plot twists really enhanced the storyline. I love it when things take a turn and you don't know what will happen next!
As soon as I finished this book, I downloaded the second one. I had to know what would happen next. I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes a good dystopian paranormal read. This book is definitely not a "sexy read" so if you are looking for that you need to keep surfing GR to find something else. As for me, I am hooked! I cannot wait to see what happens next!
"She wasn't scared. As long as she was in his arms, she knew that she would never be scared again."-Arianna
April 6, 2022
This was really good and I wasn't waiting long to be completely pulled in to the story.
Vampires in this book are out in the open and completely running the show, they have only one thing against them and that is a group of rebels that refuse to expect things the way they are, and risk there lives to fight them.
Happy Reading 📚📘📗📔📕📓📚📙📒📖📗📘📕📔📗📖📙📚📓📒📙📖📗
Vampires in this book are out in the open and completely running the show, they have only one thing against them and that is a group of rebels that refuse to expect things the way they are, and risk there lives to fight them.
Happy Reading 📚📘📗📔📕📓📚📙📒📖📗📘📕📔📗📖📙📚📓📒📙📖📗
February 13, 2013
This book is so badly written my eyes hurt.
Maybe there is a story-line to follow but i missed it because i was focused on so many godamned mistakes.
The description of this book was promising. It sounded dark and intense. My kind of PNR. Well it's not.
Big no-no's were made by Stevens:
Repetition, repetition, repetition..... Practice makes perfect but not when you're writing a book.
The phrase: "...she jumped slightly..." was mercilessly repeated to the point where i was expecting it at every turn.
The heroine is a part of a resistance fighting for human right to live and whatnot, she has no fury, she has no passion, she has nothing. She is meek and docile as a lamb and thick as a brick. She supposedly spend her entire life hating vampires and fighting for survival but you couldn't tell that from her behavior. I stopped reading at 50% and i can tell you that nothing of consequence happened.
Then there is the fact that our heroine lived in the forests while vamps live like civilized people. Fine, but she can't go from the point of being confused by a fork to the point of arguing certain aspects of civilized life with the prince. The world-building is nonexistent, the characters are all over the place. I truly hated this book.
Maybe there is a story-line to follow but i missed it because i was focused on so many godamned mistakes.
The description of this book was promising. It sounded dark and intense. My kind of PNR. Well it's not.
Big no-no's were made by Stevens:
Repetition, repetition, repetition..... Practice makes perfect but not when you're writing a book.
The phrase: "...she jumped slightly..." was mercilessly repeated to the point where i was expecting it at every turn.
The heroine is a part of a resistance fighting for human right to live and whatnot, she has no fury, she has no passion, she has nothing. She is meek and docile as a lamb and thick as a brick. She supposedly spend her entire life hating vampires and fighting for survival but you couldn't tell that from her behavior. I stopped reading at 50% and i can tell you that nothing of consequence happened.
Then there is the fact that our heroine lived in the forests while vamps live like civilized people. Fine, but she can't go from the point of being confused by a fork to the point of arguing certain aspects of civilized life with the prince. The world-building is nonexistent, the characters are all over the place. I truly hated this book.
July 25, 2016
YA paranormal dystopia - WIN! This is a fantastic start to a series that I know I am going to love!
Set 100 years after vampires became tired of living in the shadows and outed themselves in a bloody and brutal war against humans, vampires are now in charge, with the human race enslaved to them. The only humans who don’t serve them are part of a resistance movement, based in the woods and continuing to fight for human freedom. Daughter of the rebel leader, Arianna finds herself captured by vampires during a raid and taken to be either bled out and killed, or worse, taken as a blood slave to the highest bidder to be used in whatever way until her master tires of her.
To her horror, she is claimed by a powerful vampire, Braith, who just happens to be a Prince and next in line for the vampire throne. Assuming she is to be abused and then killed, Arianna is shocked when Braith makes no demands on her, instead installing her within his rooms in the palace, and treating her well.
“She began to shake, unable to understand this strange creature before her. Vampires were monsters, they destroyed humans, used them and abused them before tossing them away, but this creature was an enigma that she couldn't even begin to fathom.”
Braith has no idea why he claimed Arianna. He has never had a blood slave before, and he doesn’t particularly want one now, he just knows that there is something special about her, and he needs to keep her safe, and keep her close.
From completely opposite worlds, Arianna and Braith each represent everything that the other hates. But as they find their way around each other, and get to know each other, not only do they start to question all they had been raised to believe, but a bond begins to grow, and feelings start to develop.
“She found herself wanting to trust him, wanting to like him even.
And she knew that was a very hazardous thing to do.”
I love Aria – she’s brave, defiant and proud, passionate and deeply caring for her people and their plight. Raised in the woods, and living as a warrior in caves and dressing in rags, she has a deep hatred of the race that has enslaved her people, and even though she is disgusted with her new reality, she still maintains a sense of wonder as she is brought into the vampire world and introduced into a lifestyle she has never known before.
And guiding her along the way is the luscious Braith. God, I love him! A bit of a hardass, he is wary of Aria at the beginning, but he is beautifully protective of her. I love the way he allows her to get to him, and how, despite his harsh upbringing, he is open to her and to his feelings for her.
“Her splendid inner glow had always resided within her, and it was one of the most exquisite things he had ever encountered.”
The romance between them is beautiful!! It develops slowly, and unfolds realistically until it consumes them both.
“She needed this, she needed him. It all felt so right, so perfectly, and astonishingly right! Something inside her was healing and becoming whole. There had always been something missing in her life, something that she'd been searching and hoping for, but she'd never known what it was. Until now.”
But with a relationship strictly forbidden between their races, and with Braith as the king-in-waiting, and Aria hiding her identity as the daughter of the rebellion, there is no way this can be a smooth ride, and things get very intense, leaving us with a particularly nasty cliffhanger that left me almost screaming with frustration.
But fear not! Not only is the second book available, but all four books of the series are available, so there’s no excuse not to dive right in. Especially when this book is available free on Amazon!
Beautifully, descriptively written and full of emotion, I was sucked in from the first page. Stevens has done a great job in creating a dark and intriguing paranormal world, and her characters are all really well developed. It was a little lacking in the dialogue, but with the dual POV, you always know what the characters are thinking, so it wasn’t a major issue.
I loved it, and am diving straight into the next book. 4.5 stars.
Set 100 years after vampires became tired of living in the shadows and outed themselves in a bloody and brutal war against humans, vampires are now in charge, with the human race enslaved to them. The only humans who don’t serve them are part of a resistance movement, based in the woods and continuing to fight for human freedom. Daughter of the rebel leader, Arianna finds herself captured by vampires during a raid and taken to be either bled out and killed, or worse, taken as a blood slave to the highest bidder to be used in whatever way until her master tires of her.
To her horror, she is claimed by a powerful vampire, Braith, who just happens to be a Prince and next in line for the vampire throne. Assuming she is to be abused and then killed, Arianna is shocked when Braith makes no demands on her, instead installing her within his rooms in the palace, and treating her well.
“She began to shake, unable to understand this strange creature before her. Vampires were monsters, they destroyed humans, used them and abused them before tossing them away, but this creature was an enigma that she couldn't even begin to fathom.”
Braith has no idea why he claimed Arianna. He has never had a blood slave before, and he doesn’t particularly want one now, he just knows that there is something special about her, and he needs to keep her safe, and keep her close.
From completely opposite worlds, Arianna and Braith each represent everything that the other hates. But as they find their way around each other, and get to know each other, not only do they start to question all they had been raised to believe, but a bond begins to grow, and feelings start to develop.
“She found herself wanting to trust him, wanting to like him even.
And she knew that was a very hazardous thing to do.”
I love Aria – she’s brave, defiant and proud, passionate and deeply caring for her people and their plight. Raised in the woods, and living as a warrior in caves and dressing in rags, she has a deep hatred of the race that has enslaved her people, and even though she is disgusted with her new reality, she still maintains a sense of wonder as she is brought into the vampire world and introduced into a lifestyle she has never known before.
And guiding her along the way is the luscious Braith. God, I love him! A bit of a hardass, he is wary of Aria at the beginning, but he is beautifully protective of her. I love the way he allows her to get to him, and how, despite his harsh upbringing, he is open to her and to his feelings for her.
“Her splendid inner glow had always resided within her, and it was one of the most exquisite things he had ever encountered.”
The romance between them is beautiful!! It develops slowly, and unfolds realistically until it consumes them both.
“She needed this, she needed him. It all felt so right, so perfectly, and astonishingly right! Something inside her was healing and becoming whole. There had always been something missing in her life, something that she'd been searching and hoping for, but she'd never known what it was. Until now.”
But with a relationship strictly forbidden between their races, and with Braith as the king-in-waiting, and Aria hiding her identity as the daughter of the rebellion, there is no way this can be a smooth ride, and things get very intense, leaving us with a particularly nasty cliffhanger that left me almost screaming with frustration.
But fear not! Not only is the second book available, but all four books of the series are available, so there’s no excuse not to dive right in. Especially when this book is available free on Amazon!
Beautifully, descriptively written and full of emotion, I was sucked in from the first page. Stevens has done a great job in creating a dark and intriguing paranormal world, and her characters are all really well developed. It was a little lacking in the dialogue, but with the dual POV, you always know what the characters are thinking, so it wasn’t a major issue.
I loved it, and am diving straight into the next book. 4.5 stars.
February 7, 2019
It was a quick read. But nothing much new and I don’t think i’ll Read the next one. I don’t like continuations for the sake of continuations. Felt like it started to drag along. Tropes overused. But writing was fine. Story was fine. Just fine and free.
September 17, 2014
A series which transcends the YA genre, and it's wholly entertaining...
Dystopian Vampire Romance...
I'm re-reading this series in preparation for the fourth and final book, Salvation... As you may know through reading my reviews, I tend to stay away from YA Romance & Fiction. The Captive Series from Erica Stevens is the glowing exception to that rule.
I seem to remember that the quality of the narrative trails off over the course of this series, but the inventive and intriguing world that Stevens creates, as well as the interesting characters who inhabit it, are the heart and soul of this series.
I hope I'm mis-remebering the next two books as we lead up to the end of the series, but one thing remains certain. This book is a damn' fine piece of Fiction.
Some of My Favorite Moments:
My Other Reviews in the Captive Series:
1 - Captured - You can read my full review HERE
2 - Renegade - You can read my full review HERE
3 - Refugee - You can read my full review HERE
4 - Salvation - You can read my full review HERE
Dystopian Vampire Romance...
I'm re-reading this series in preparation for the fourth and final book, Salvation... As you may know through reading my reviews, I tend to stay away from YA Romance & Fiction. The Captive Series from Erica Stevens is the glowing exception to that rule.
I seem to remember that the quality of the narrative trails off over the course of this series, but the inventive and intriguing world that Stevens creates, as well as the interesting characters who inhabit it, are the heart and soul of this series.
I hope I'm mis-remebering the next two books as we lead up to the end of the series, but one thing remains certain. This book is a damn' fine piece of Fiction.
Some of My Favorite Moments:
My Other Reviews in the Captive Series:
1 - Captured - You can read my full review HERE
2 - Renegade - You can read my full review HERE
3 - Refugee - You can read my full review HERE
4 - Salvation - You can read my full review HERE
September 10, 2020
buddy read with my babe Macy :))
not bad! pretty entertaining and addictive! onto the next one ;)
thanks to the author and amazon kindle for the free book!
not bad! pretty entertaining and addictive! onto the next one ;)
thanks to the author and amazon kindle for the free book!
February 10, 2015
I'll make this review real short.
Vampire books were never really my cup of tea and this book was the proof of it. I was 70% into it and all I thought was: Camly, what the hell are you doing to yourself? Stop this madness!
But since I was in the bus on my way home, I told myself " lol might as well do something semi-productive" and resumed my quest to finish this novel that somehow found it's way into my kindle and has been chilling on my shelves for over a year.
It wasn't unbearable. It was just... Boring. Like any other romance novel:
1. Guy meets girl and they hate each other..
2. Shit happens.
3. They feel like "uncontrollable attraction" to each other.
4. They're deeply in love.
5. People try to ruin the romance.
*sigh*
Meh.
Vampire books were never really my cup of tea and this book was the proof of it. I was 70% into it and all I thought was: Camly, what the hell are you doing to yourself? Stop this madness!
But since I was in the bus on my way home, I told myself " lol might as well do something semi-productive" and resumed my quest to finish this novel that somehow found it's way into my kindle and has been chilling on my shelves for over a year.
It wasn't unbearable. It was just... Boring. Like any other romance novel:
1. Guy meets girl and they hate each other..
2. Shit happens.
3. They feel like "uncontrollable attraction" to each other.
4. They're deeply in love.
5. People try to ruin the romance.
*sigh*
Meh.
February 27, 2013
DNF
While the concept of a dystopian society ruled by vampires adds nothing new to the paranormal genre, Stevens' plot seemed interesting and promising at first. The realization of it, however, was rather a failure.
There was hardly anything I liked about this book. The characters were boring beyond believe - Braith, a beautiful immortal vampire prince that bored me to sleep within seconds; Arianna, our strong, defiant heroine - yea, okay, who are we kidding - made me wish someone would finally take pity on us poor readers and drain her dry or snap her neck. The plot was boring; everything happens in this oh so very beautiful, magnificent (blabla) palace - and with everything I mean nothing - nada, niente, gar nichts.
The first half of the book is spend on building relationship of Braith and Arianna - and by building I mean the description of implausible, illogical love at first sight without the least bit of believable chemistry or spark. After good 60% of the book had stolen me time I will never get back, I did not continue reading.
The biggest problem I have with this book (and so many other paranormal romances) is that the author doesn't seem to bother creating the necessary depth of our main character(s) or walking the hard yet crucial path of realistic actions and reactions.
Arianna (supposedly, because quite frankly I want to see proof) grew up as a strong, willful resistance fighter that in the start of the book gave up her freedom for the life of another child. If you respected this girl, and liked her for her bravery and strength, you will be truly disappointed because the Arianna that continues the story doesn't resemble her at all. While the Stevens continuously tells us that Arianna wants to escape from imprisonment and wants to defy the oppressing vampire regime, she in no way gives her words any meaning. Not once did Arianna even TRY to escape, not once did she stand up for what she believes in (and no, a monolog-like one time speech about the cruelty of the world does NOT count in my book). Instead, she defies the vampires with the creativity of an 8 year old, and finally makes out with Price McBoring without any major concerns from her part as it seems.
Great tales are not told about willing less, lovestruck girls, but about strong heroines that fight for what they believe in. Katniss, Tris, Kate, Penryn and even MacKayla to just name a few.
While the concept of a dystopian society ruled by vampires adds nothing new to the paranormal genre, Stevens' plot seemed interesting and promising at first. The realization of it, however, was rather a failure.
There was hardly anything I liked about this book. The characters were boring beyond believe - Braith, a beautiful immortal vampire prince that bored me to sleep within seconds; Arianna, our strong, defiant heroine - yea, okay, who are we kidding - made me wish someone would finally take pity on us poor readers and drain her dry or snap her neck. The plot was boring; everything happens in this oh so very beautiful, magnificent (blabla) palace - and with everything I mean nothing - nada, niente, gar nichts.
The first half of the book is spend on building relationship of Braith and Arianna - and by building I mean the description of implausible, illogical love at first sight without the least bit of believable chemistry or spark. After good 60% of the book had stolen me time I will never get back, I did not continue reading.
The biggest problem I have with this book (and so many other paranormal romances) is that the author doesn't seem to bother creating the necessary depth of our main character(s) or walking the hard yet crucial path of realistic actions and reactions.
Arianna (supposedly, because quite frankly I want to see proof) grew up as a strong, willful resistance fighter that in the start of the book gave up her freedom for the life of another child. If you respected this girl, and liked her for her bravery and strength, you will be truly disappointed because the Arianna that continues the story doesn't resemble her at all. While the Stevens continuously tells us that Arianna wants to escape from imprisonment and wants to defy the oppressing vampire regime, she in no way gives her words any meaning. Not once did Arianna even TRY to escape, not once did she stand up for what she believes in (and no, a monolog-like one time speech about the cruelty of the world does NOT count in my book). Instead, she defies the vampires with the creativity of an 8 year old, and finally makes out with Price McBoring without any major concerns from her part as it seems.
Great tales are not told about willing less, lovestruck girls, but about strong heroines that fight for what they believe in. Katniss, Tris, Kate, Penryn and even MacKayla to just name a few.
June 30, 2015
Although there is a background of a dystopian world where vampires have come out of hiding and taken over society, this really is a romance novel. We learn that there was a war wherein the vampire race took over the earth and humans have become relegated to either servitude, death, or blood slaves. There is a "rebellion" of humans who live in the woods and fight the vampires and Aria is the daughter of the leader of this group. She gets captured in a raid and is auctioned off as a blood slave. She would rather have died because blood slaves are tortured and used until their slow death occurs, usually not that much later. Aria is bought by the prince of the vampire's evil monarchy. That is where the story starts.
The story really all takes place within a few rooms in the palace as Aria and her prince/owner, Braith, get to know each other. He has never owned a blood slave before, and he is not as cruel as his family, but there are certain rules to having one that makes it dangerous for him to be seen treating her too kindly. He also has a very sadistic brother who would love to get his hands on Aria. So, she and Braith are heading in to dangerous territory as they start to develop feelings for each other.
The only thing that made her feel safe in this strange world was the creature that now owned her.
So, I feel like this book was mainly an introduction to the characters because it is really just all about Aria and Braith as they fall in love. We don't get too much on the outside world which is kind of disappointing. I wanted to know more about the vampire society and the human rebels, but it never came. Since this first book was really short, I am hoping that we get more of the outside world in the next one.
The story really all takes place within a few rooms in the palace as Aria and her prince/owner, Braith, get to know each other. He has never owned a blood slave before, and he is not as cruel as his family, but there are certain rules to having one that makes it dangerous for him to be seen treating her too kindly. He also has a very sadistic brother who would love to get his hands on Aria. So, she and Braith are heading in to dangerous territory as they start to develop feelings for each other.
The only thing that made her feel safe in this strange world was the creature that now owned her.
So, I feel like this book was mainly an introduction to the characters because it is really just all about Aria and Braith as they fall in love. We don't get too much on the outside world which is kind of disappointing. I wanted to know more about the vampire society and the human rebels, but it never came. Since this first book was really short, I am hoping that we get more of the outside world in the next one.
December 12, 2018
Re-read 1st December - 2nd December 2018.
This is one of my favourite vampire romances and I can't believe in the many times I've read these books I've never actually reviewed them.
Vampires rule the earth, they've come out from the shadows and humans are blood slaves and pets fed from and collared.
Aria is a member of the resistance and knows once captured she must keep her identity a secret at all costs.
Aria finds herself purchased by Braith a prince and while he owns her his behaviour is surprising and she slowly feels herself drawn to him against her better judgement.
I loved this book, the idea, the whole world that's been created and of course Aria and Braith. I first read this back in September 2012 and I can't remember how many times I've returned to this series which shows how much I like it.
This is one of my favourite vampire romances and I can't believe in the many times I've read these books I've never actually reviewed them.
Vampires rule the earth, they've come out from the shadows and humans are blood slaves and pets fed from and collared.
Aria is a member of the resistance and knows once captured she must keep her identity a secret at all costs.
Aria finds herself purchased by Braith a prince and while he owns her his behaviour is surprising and she slowly feels herself drawn to him against her better judgement.
I loved this book, the idea, the whole world that's been created and of course Aria and Braith. I first read this back in September 2012 and I can't remember how many times I've returned to this series which shows how much I like it.
Read
July 29, 2015I liked this - haven't read a YA in a little while but i enjoyed Captured.
February 2, 2013
WOW!!! The one word I will use to describe this book. A true YA Vampire paranormal romance with blood thirsty ruthless vampires who doesn't sparkle in sunlight. This is not my first rodeo with Vampire dystopia but the first one that left me with a lasting impression.
The story is set in the future where Vampires are no longer hiding in the shadows. They have revealed themselves to the world and their collective might have sent the humans into hiding fearing extermination or worse becoming a vampires blood slave. The female lead is a 17 year old girl named Arianna, the only daughter of the leader of the resistance who at the beginning of the book is captured. She like the other human captives is brought up for auction, a primitive ritual were humans are paraded in front of Vampires and sold of. The unwanted of them drained of their blood and killed off immediately, a fate which Aria truly hope will be hers considering the alternative of becoming a vampire pet slave. But fates have other plans and that plans include a dangerously handsome Vampire prince. Braith the crown prince of the Vampires never had a blood slave before but something about Aria was calling out to him. Something which he couldn't ignore resulting in him ending up with a rebellious, defiant and unwilling human slave. Aria is nothing like he has ever encountered before she is strong willed, courageous and does not cower in fear of him. Oddly enough he finds himself attracted to her even though he doesn't hold her kind in high esteem. Aria for her part is also equally distraught to learn that she has fallen for her greatest enemy but along with this love she also knows that she has to make difficult choices which involves choosing between her love and freedom.
As I have already mentioned this book is a surprise package. The characters are all well written and scenes well developed. Braith and Aria has turned into one of my favorite YA couples and I don't say that about most. They have a sizzling chemistry which I have often found lacking in most YA couples and it is clear that they both feel for each other deeply. The setting of the story is deeply disturbing it kind of reminded me of Planet of the Apes with the Apes being replaced by Vampires and Vampires being more cruel and sadistic in their treatment. The whole idea that a blood slave has to be put on leash was revolting and added a dark glamour to the dystopia world the author created. The supporting characters are also entertaining but I couldn't draw my attention from the main characters to give them much thought. I thank all my lucky stars that I came to know about this book after the next three in the series have been released otherwise I don't think I would have stood the suspense. This is a book that should not be missed. Highly recommended
The story is set in the future where Vampires are no longer hiding in the shadows. They have revealed themselves to the world and their collective might have sent the humans into hiding fearing extermination or worse becoming a vampires blood slave. The female lead is a 17 year old girl named Arianna, the only daughter of the leader of the resistance who at the beginning of the book is captured. She like the other human captives is brought up for auction, a primitive ritual were humans are paraded in front of Vampires and sold of. The unwanted of them drained of their blood and killed off immediately, a fate which Aria truly hope will be hers considering the alternative of becoming a vampire pet slave. But fates have other plans and that plans include a dangerously handsome Vampire prince. Braith the crown prince of the Vampires never had a blood slave before but something about Aria was calling out to him. Something which he couldn't ignore resulting in him ending up with a rebellious, defiant and unwilling human slave. Aria is nothing like he has ever encountered before she is strong willed, courageous and does not cower in fear of him. Oddly enough he finds himself attracted to her even though he doesn't hold her kind in high esteem. Aria for her part is also equally distraught to learn that she has fallen for her greatest enemy but along with this love she also knows that she has to make difficult choices which involves choosing between her love and freedom.
As I have already mentioned this book is a surprise package. The characters are all well written and scenes well developed. Braith and Aria has turned into one of my favorite YA couples and I don't say that about most. They have a sizzling chemistry which I have often found lacking in most YA couples and it is clear that they both feel for each other deeply. The setting of the story is deeply disturbing it kind of reminded me of Planet of the Apes with the Apes being replaced by Vampires and Vampires being more cruel and sadistic in their treatment. The whole idea that a blood slave has to be put on leash was revolting and added a dark glamour to the dystopia world the author created. The supporting characters are also entertaining but I couldn't draw my attention from the main characters to give them much thought. I thank all my lucky stars that I came to know about this book after the next three in the series have been released otherwise I don't think I would have stood the suspense. This is a book that should not be missed. Highly recommended
March 2, 2021
Story: GOOD
Intimacy Level: N/A
Enjoyment: FAIRLY GOOD
Length: 3018
THOUGHTS
While reading Captured, I was conflicted and split in the middle on my feelings towards the story. Although I rated my enjoyment, fairly good, which is still good for me, this book had my emotions going from ok, not bad to good. Although it took me towards the end, I finally figured out what the authors intentions are with the book and the series.
The author was establishing a foundation for the characters and who they are in book 1. When the story first starts, Aria is held as a captive and is rescued by Braith, a vampire prince who is over 900 hundred years old and a little different which makes him unique. Aria, who is human and Braith, who is a vampire, are both at war for as long as they could remember with their people. Where I felt frustrated was Braith's motives when he has Aria in his possession. I was intrigue but a bit frustrated as well. We only know that he has taken her as a blood slave as that is the purpose of most humans amongst Braith's people. However, as the plot starts to unfold more it started turning around for me. The Braith you read about in the beginning of book 1 is no longer the same Braith at the end of the story. I grew to love Braith although he had a wicked temper when put to the test. Aria was held against her will and was every bit as frustrated as I was with not knowing Braith's true intentions. However, as time goes on, she begins to fall in love with Braith.
What I loved about the end of the story, which will continue in Renegade (The Captive Series Book 2), was the metamorphosis of Braith. And what I mean by that and the best way to describe it, is Star Wars. If you know the history of star wars and Darth Vader, he was not always a bad guy. He was a guy in love and good, until that pivotal moment that changed everything. And that's where book 1 has left off with Braith.
The one thing I will say is that I would have liked to read more vampire tendencies, but then again, this story was a bit different for me and interesting.
March 5, 2021
3.5 stars
I liked the story. Aria is a rebel fighting against the vampires that have taken over the world. She is captured and sold to the vampire prince as blood slave. She may live, but not for long. I think I wanted more detail. Everything happened to quickly for me to find believable. I did enjoy the book and it was fast paced. I think I needed more story, more detail. Basically a bigger book.
I liked the story. Aria is a rebel fighting against the vampires that have taken over the world. She is captured and sold to the vampire prince as blood slave. She may live, but not for long. I think I wanted more detail. Everything happened to quickly for me to find believable. I did enjoy the book and it was fast paced. I think I needed more story, more detail. Basically a bigger book.
February 24, 2015
100 BILLION STARS. . .
OOOOHHH BRAITH, HOT, SEXY, POWERFUL, DETERMINED, HOTHEADED, BRAITH, HOW YOU BRING THE SWOONY LITTLE GIRL OUT OF ME LIKE THIS. . .
AND THIS...
AND ESPECIALLY LIKE THIS. . .
BECAUSE YOU. . .
Oohhh, this was SOOO Swoon worthy EPIC!! I just love Braith and is overpowering sense of being and the strong power and desire that radiates from him!! He's SOOOO CRAZY HOTT!!! He's definitely one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOK BOYFRIENDS EVER!!!
YOU GO ERICA STEVENS!!
Review To Come After My Hormones Come Out Of Overdrive...
~~~~~EDIT~~~~~
CAPTURED is a spiraling, heart-throbbing, gut-wrenching, love-filled, dystopia paranormal romance, that will sway and invade your heart and soul, and keep you twirling in a world of romance and bliss like no other, as it entangles you in it's web of lies and deception, love and romance, and blood and murder until the very last page.
This series has been my all time favorite since reading it a couple years ago and absolutely loving it. It's captivated me, and is the reasoning for my love of vampire and romance books. This book is a paranormal romance in a dystopia world where vampires rule over humans, forcing them to bow down and give them their blood and become their slaves in any way they wish. But it also had such a power, a force that drove this book to it's fullest, and it was so overwhelming that my heart raced with every encounter Braith and Aria had, and the love and devotion that they shared was overpowering and utterly wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time. I could sit here all day and try to explain my love and feelings for this series and would still not be able to express the full depth of my love, and nothing I say would even come close in doing it any justice. It was just that wonderfully amazing!!
The characters were so developed and had such a depth that it was overpowering to watch the story unfold. I LOVED the main characters Aria and Braith, I loved them so much, together or a part they were both truly wonderful. Especially Braith, he was a rocket wanting to be let loose, a canon easily to ignite, and a powerful one at that. But the love he had for Aria, and the need to keep his bloodmate safe, was so powerful, and utterly wonderful at the same time. Braith was strong, one of the strongest vampires alive, and yet he loved a human, and rebel blood slave human at that, and he looked at her like she was god himself, and it was so beautiful. He was the powerful bomb that would spark the flame that either saved their world, or the power of destruction that would bring it all crashing down...
THE PLOT
Arianna's world as a rebel, hiding within her only sanctuary deep within the woods, the only place she feels alive and free, comes crashing down around her when she is on a hunt gone terribly wrong, and her and her closest friend Max are caught in a raid and captured by the vicious, deadly vampires, and forced to leave their rebel world behind as their paraded on stage in front of hungry, blood-craving monsters and sold to the highest bidder or drained of blood and killed instantly...
Aria finds herself craving death over the degraded solitude of becoming a vampires blood slave, and being used and abused then tossed aside and drained when no logger needed. But then when she is about to be sold to the vilest thing she's ever come into contact with, a Vampire Prince steps forward and clams her as his first blood slave, taking her back to his world where she will forever be branded as a slave, forced to endure whatever her "Master" chooses. But Aria can't be broken that easy, and she determined to do whatever possible to not let this prince be the first one to break her.
But Braith, the Vampire Prince is nothing like she imagined him to be. He is gentle, and thoughtful, and has this way to invade her body just by looking at her with those penetrating eyes that sees past the outer layers of herself, and deep into her soul. She wants to be frightened, she should be frightened, he is the Vampire Prince and the air to the throne, but the way he makes her feel is something she has never experienced in her short human life. But she is still after all, just a human blood slave, and no matter how sweet Braith treats her, he can not change that his father, the Vampire king would kill her and maybe him if they're feelings were ever discovered...
But Aria's secrets threaten to tear her and Braith's new found world apart as her past and family secrets are enough to shatter everything they have built together. Braith doesn't know that Aria's father is the leader of the human rebellion and the person that the vampires have been hunting for years. And that is something she is unsure if she can share with him, no matter of their weird connection. But when someone with knowledge of her and her families roll in the rebellion appears at the palace, her cover becomes tainted, and her secrets and lies begin to unravel. But if it's ever revealed to Braith's father that she is the leader of the rebellions daughter, he would stop at nothing to torture her in the worst way, and use her to get to her father and end the rebellion once in for all. And that is something she can not allow to happen, no matter her love or feelings for Braith.
But Braith cannot allow his father and vile brother to destroy Aria, for she has brought the light back to his world that he lost many years ago, and he is determined not to lose her, human or not, he will stop at nothing to save the girl her loves, even go against his own blood.
Oohhh, this was so epic!! I LOVED everything about this world and characters. Everything about it was so perfect and so right. The romance was at the forefront of this novel, but the world that it was built around is what set the stakes and drew me into it in the first place. But the romance is what captivated me kept me engaged throughout the entire book, and took me on a ride like no other.
Erica Stevens is a brilliant storyteller, creating sexy characters; flawed and rigid, but perfect and passionate. This book was crazy addicting as it took hold of me from the very beginning and had me racing through the pages trying to get to the end. Then when it was over, I raced to start book two, and loved that one just as much!
Overall, this world and series is one of my all time favorites ever. It touched my heart and rattled my soul and is the reason why I love these genres. It's the perfect romance, dystopia, and paranormal book all combined into one. I've already read every book in this series, and every single one is just as good as this one. But this is the one that started it all and holds that special place in my heart. Watching Braith and Aria's love grow and blossom to what it's become, was so refreshing and truly magical and heartwarming in the sweet, roughly angry, powerfully passionate kinda way. This complete series is definitely a must read and I highly recommend it for any paranormal romance and dystopia fans out there, I'm sure you won't be disappointed!!!
December 31, 2013
Absolutely loved loved loved this book !!! SO much!!
It was like an extended version of Betrothed by Jill Myles.
A soulmate link between a vampire and human.
I absolutely loved the emotions and confusion. How the heroine was scared and confused because of the prince's gentle behaviour and how she wanted to like it and still wanted to escape and hate the vampires.
It had everything I loved and wanted to read for so long!!
- enemies who actually hate each other
- kidnapping
- captivity of heroine
- epic fantasy romance
- racial differences
- running away from the hero
- slave-master relationship
- royalty and princes :))
- a heroine who can jump and swing over trees like Tarzan
- Heroine slapping hero scene
- Hero showing heroine his ruthless side
- blind hero
- an ancient-way way way older hero..that is 900 years !!
- evil father
- twin brother !!
- betrayal and misunderstanding
- A hell awesome reunion between heroine and hero which includes the heroine firing the hero with an arrow
- a cat and mouse like chase
- hero going berserk
- hero and heroine confess their love very easily without any nonsensical 'I am scarred and can never ever love'
- lots and lots of kissing and caressing without getting dirty
While reading the series, I kept hearing the song Heart attack by Demi Lovato again and again.
It was like an extended version of Betrothed by Jill Myles.
A soulmate link between a vampire and human.
I absolutely loved the emotions and confusion. How the heroine was scared and confused because of the prince's gentle behaviour and how she wanted to like it and still wanted to escape and hate the vampires.
It had everything I loved and wanted to read for so long!!
- enemies who actually hate each other
- kidnapping
- captivity of heroine
- epic fantasy romance
- racial differences
- running away from the hero
- slave-master relationship
- royalty and princes :))
- a heroine who can jump and swing over trees like Tarzan
- Heroine slapping hero scene
- Hero showing heroine his ruthless side
- blind hero
- an ancient-way way way older hero..that is 900 years !!
- evil father
- twin brother !!
- betrayal and misunderstanding
- A hell awesome reunion between heroine and hero which includes the heroine firing the hero with an arrow
- a cat and mouse like chase
- hero going berserk
- hero and heroine confess their love very easily without any nonsensical 'I am scarred and can never ever love'
- lots and lots of kissing and caressing without getting dirty
While reading the series, I kept hearing the song Heart attack by Demi Lovato again and again.
September 20, 2012
www.the-book-diaries.blogspot.com
What a great dystopian vampire story. I was a bit skeptical at first, wasn’t sure how this story was going to plan out but it’s very good. So good I read both books one and two in 2 days! The author has done a great job with creating a world where vampires have taken over everything, and humans are at their mercy. There is a large group of rebellions who want to over throw the vampires and live in caves, underground, or in the safety of the woods where they cannot be found. I liked that in this story the humans have forgotten what a shower is, or a toilet, those little things that we take for granted. Makes you think of how much we have and how much we can lose. There is so much anticipation in this book that it made it almost impossible to put down. There’s action, mystery and romance, all those things you need for a great story. The characters are interesting; all of them have their own uniqueness which pulls different emotions out of you. If you read it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Enjoy.
What a great dystopian vampire story. I was a bit skeptical at first, wasn’t sure how this story was going to plan out but it’s very good. So good I read both books one and two in 2 days! The author has done a great job with creating a world where vampires have taken over everything, and humans are at their mercy. There is a large group of rebellions who want to over throw the vampires and live in caves, underground, or in the safety of the woods where they cannot be found. I liked that in this story the humans have forgotten what a shower is, or a toilet, those little things that we take for granted. Makes you think of how much we have and how much we can lose. There is so much anticipation in this book that it made it almost impossible to put down. There’s action, mystery and romance, all those things you need for a great story. The characters are interesting; all of them have their own uniqueness which pulls different emotions out of you. If you read it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Enjoy.
December 2, 2021
🆗 World-building
🆗 Pace
🆗❌ Plot
🆗❌ Characters
❌ Romance (almost insta-love?)
DNF at 55%
The characters are bland and boring. Braith is the vampire prince who is not as cruel and ruthless as he seems to be (he is also suuuuuper boring and cliché) and Arya is the daughter of the chief of the rebellion who has been captured and sold as a slave. We are told so many times how special she is and how she will not be a slave and be broken, but she is spineless most of the time.
The first chapters are not that bad, but then there are the insta-attraction and almost insta-love... I mean, the guy bought you as a slave, but he is just so handsome, your body can't control itself..? I see how they could have developed feelings for each other, with time and some building. Not over a few days and 20 pages.
🆗 Pace
🆗❌ Plot
🆗❌ Characters
❌ Romance (almost insta-love?)
DNF at 55%
The characters are bland and boring. Braith is the vampire prince who is not as cruel and ruthless as he seems to be (he is also suuuuuper boring and cliché) and Arya is the daughter of the chief of the rebellion who has been captured and sold as a slave. We are told so many times how special she is and how she will not be a slave and be broken, but she is spineless most of the time.
The first chapters are not that bad, but then there are the insta-attraction and almost insta-love... I mean, the guy bought you as a slave, but he is just so handsome, your body can't control itself..? I see how they could have developed feelings for each other, with time and some building. Not over a few days and 20 pages.
October 14, 2012
WOW!! I trully loved this story; it was intriguing and kept me at the edge of my seat just waiting to read what happened next. I won't go into details; you can read the synopsis for yourself. The ONLY thing I didn't like was that it was too short; I thnk it could have been longer, and perhaps combined with the second book (which I AM going to get right now!) to make it a one full length novel. I cant wait to get started on the 2nd! =)
Want to read
September 25, 2012I have no idea if this is good or not, but its FREE on Amazon right now http://www.amazon.com/Captured-Captiv...
August 17, 2017
Humans are no longer the top of the food chain now that the vampires have come out of the shadows. Yes they can move around in the daytime, the whole only come out at night a myth. After a great war the vampires now rule all, humans only existing for blood and serving the vampires. Sure they can work, but only lower end jobs. Children no longer go to school because why is there a need for education when you can never be more then a slave?
Arianna is the daughter of the leader of the rebellion and she get's captured during a raid, the captured humans are then paraded on stage, the ones who get bought are blood slaves and they get to live for a little while longer, Arianna would rather have instant death then be slave to a vampire.
She get's bought...
Very interesting take on the vampire story and I enjoyed it, the writing wasn't the best but the story grabbed my attention. The story ends on a clifhanger so be wary if you are not a fan of them.
I will be continuing on, I bought book 2 Renegade as soon as it ended.
3.5 stars
Arianna is the daughter of the leader of the rebellion and she get's captured during a raid, the captured humans are then paraded on stage, the ones who get bought are blood slaves and they get to live for a little while longer, Arianna would rather have instant death then be slave to a vampire.
She get's bought...
Very interesting take on the vampire story and I enjoyed it, the writing wasn't the best but the story grabbed my attention. The story ends on a clifhanger so be wary if you are not a fan of them.
I will be continuing on, I bought book 2 Renegade as soon as it ended.
3.5 stars
July 3, 2016
(RabidReads.com)4.25 stars A couple of people recommended this series recently as featuring their favorite vampire. I am usually up for a good vampire romance so I went looking. And then found out that this book had been sitting in my tbr pile for three years. Yes, I am kicking myself because I couldn’t put it down. I am not going to say it’s perfect, because it’s got a major cliffhanger and I am not a fan of those, AND I think there is going to be a love triangle. Not a fan of that, unless it’s done exactly right.That remains to be seen, and as I have bought the next book, I will probably be finding out sooner, rather than later. Sooner, because I can’t wait to dive right back into this series even though I finished this one today.
Vampires and humans fought a war about a hundred years back. Humans did not win and now they are servants and blood slaves to the vampires. All except for a group of rebels that live in the forest that surrounds the royal family’s castle and town. I am not sure where this takes place as it’s not mentioned, nor is it mentioned if there are more vampires elsewhere. So the book has a dystopian feel to it right off the bat. Aria is seventeen, and the daughter of the leader of the rebels. She is a warrior and a hunter, and lives in extreme poverty in the forest or caves. There’s never enough to eat, the people stay filthy, but have one goal and that’s to bring down the vampire race. Aria has now been kidnapped by the vampires after a raid on her people. She is put up for auction and ends up being bought by Braith, the oldest son of the king. He doesn’t understand why he wants her, just that he does. On Aria’s part, she’s scared to death, but is not the type to bow to anyone. She is defiant at every turn, feisty as they come, and I really liked her character. Braith is, of course, extremely handsome, and to Aria, very kind. He also has a big secret. A fellow rebel, Max, was also taken with Aria and he has been bought also by a female vampire. He vows to save Aria.
This ended up a real page turner for me, not because of a lot of action, rather because of the two main characters and their interactions, Aria, as the captive, and Braith, as the captor. Of course there are other characters featured. Jealous human serving girls that don’t understand why Aria is being treated so well, a brother of Braith’s that is the epitome of evil, and another brother that just might be a traitor. So there is some castle intrigue going on, but like I said, it’s mostly about Aria and her plot to escape, and Braith’s inner struggle with how he feels about Aria. There’s laws about getting involved with a blood slave, so he has to be very careful with his feelings. The king is a piece of work, and he wouldn’t hesitate to punish his son and kill Aria if he thought he loved a lowly blood slave. What none of them know is, who Aria really is, because she certainly could be used as a pawn in the war against the rebels.
Bottom line, this was a great read for me, and I can’t wait to read the next one. Recommended to mature young adults to adults. No actual sex scenes, but a couple come close. Seven books are already released, so no waiting for the next book, always a good thing! One last thing, it’s a freebie.
Please note that I think this has been re-edited and re-released so older reviews do not reflect that.
Vampires and humans fought a war about a hundred years back. Humans did not win and now they are servants and blood slaves to the vampires. All except for a group of rebels that live in the forest that surrounds the royal family’s castle and town. I am not sure where this takes place as it’s not mentioned, nor is it mentioned if there are more vampires elsewhere. So the book has a dystopian feel to it right off the bat. Aria is seventeen, and the daughter of the leader of the rebels. She is a warrior and a hunter, and lives in extreme poverty in the forest or caves. There’s never enough to eat, the people stay filthy, but have one goal and that’s to bring down the vampire race. Aria has now been kidnapped by the vampires after a raid on her people. She is put up for auction and ends up being bought by Braith, the oldest son of the king. He doesn’t understand why he wants her, just that he does. On Aria’s part, she’s scared to death, but is not the type to bow to anyone. She is defiant at every turn, feisty as they come, and I really liked her character. Braith is, of course, extremely handsome, and to Aria, very kind. He also has a big secret. A fellow rebel, Max, was also taken with Aria and he has been bought also by a female vampire. He vows to save Aria.
This ended up a real page turner for me, not because of a lot of action, rather because of the two main characters and their interactions, Aria, as the captive, and Braith, as the captor. Of course there are other characters featured. Jealous human serving girls that don’t understand why Aria is being treated so well, a brother of Braith’s that is the epitome of evil, and another brother that just might be a traitor. So there is some castle intrigue going on, but like I said, it’s mostly about Aria and her plot to escape, and Braith’s inner struggle with how he feels about Aria. There’s laws about getting involved with a blood slave, so he has to be very careful with his feelings. The king is a piece of work, and he wouldn’t hesitate to punish his son and kill Aria if he thought he loved a lowly blood slave. What none of them know is, who Aria really is, because she certainly could be used as a pawn in the war against the rebels.
Bottom line, this was a great read for me, and I can’t wait to read the next one. Recommended to mature young adults to adults. No actual sex scenes, but a couple come close. Seven books are already released, so no waiting for the next book, always a good thing! One last thing, it’s a freebie.
Please note that I think this has been re-edited and re-released so older reviews do not reflect that.
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